Rewards Cards With the Lowest Minimum Spending Requirements

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By now, you’ve likely heard all about how lucrative credit card signup bonus offers can be. In many cases, the best rewards credit cards offer signup bonuses worth $300 to $500, or even more. And if you’re able to take advantage, these offers can help you score free travel, gift cards, or even hundreds of dollars in cash back.

Unfortunately, huge minimum spending requirements often serve as a roadblock between the average spender and the best offers. With some cards requiring you to spend $3,000 or more in 90 days, the bonus deals we all wish we could get can sometimes be out of reach.

But, there is some good news: Some of the top rewards cards out there offer minimum spending requirements that even people with few bills and expenses can meet easily. I’m talking cards that require you to spend $1,000 or less within 90 days – or less than $333 per month – on credit.

After all, almost everyone in the U.S. spends at least $333 per month just to live – whether on food, gas, utilities, miscellaneous costs, or a combination of those expenses. By putting those moderate expenses on credit, and paying your bill in full each month, you can secure a hefty sign-up bonus worth hundreds of dollars in cash back or travel.

6 Credit Card Bonuses With a Minimum Spending Requirement of $1,000 or Less

Here are some of the top offers with a minimum spending requirement almost anyone can handle:

Chase Freedom®

With the Chase Freedom® card, you only have to spend $500 in your first 3 months from account opening to earn a $150 signup bonus. Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all purchases, plus 5 points per dollar on categories that rotate each quarter. Use your points for cash back, statement credits, or gift cards. And the best part is, this card never charges an annual fee.

Chase Freedom®

Highlights:

0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.74-25.49%. Balance transfer fee is 5% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum

Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening

Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate

Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter

Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - it's automatic

Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back.

With the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card, you’ll earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on all purchases without having to worry about category bonuses or rotating promotions. Further, your points will never expire and you’ll never pay foreign transaction fees for overseas purchases. The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card also began offering a much more lucrative signup bonus. By spending just $1,000 on the card within 90 days, you’ll earn 25,000 online bonus points, which can be used as a $250 statement credit towards travel purchases. Best of all, this card does not have an annual fee.

Get an additional 10% customer points bonus on every purchase when you have an active Bank of America® checking or savings account

If you’re a Preferred Rewards client, you can increase that bonus to 25% - 75%

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Partner Offer

With the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, you’ll earn an astounding 3% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 2% at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% on other purchases. This card has no annual fee.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Highlights:

$150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.

3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%).

2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on other purchases.

Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 14.74% to 25.74%.

Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017.

Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Partner Offer

With the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express you can rack up cash back easily with 6% at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% on other purchases.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Highlights:

$200 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.

6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) - that means spending $60 a week at U.S. supermarkets could earn over $180 back per year.

3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on other purchases.

Low intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 14.74% to 25.74%.

Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017.

Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.

IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card

As a co-branded hotel card, the IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card offers a slew of points for users who are able to put just $1,000 on the card within 3 months. The current sign-up bonus of 80,000 points is worth at least four nights at a lower-tier InterContinental Hotels Group property nearly anywhere in the world. Here are some more details to consider:

Capital One® Quicksilver® Card

Rounding out our list is another card with an easy-to-hit minimum spending requirement of only $500, the Capital One® Quicksilver® Card. On top of the bonus, you’ll also earn a respectable 1.5% cash back on all types of purchases. No annual fee and 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for a limited time also round out this card’s offerings. Here are some details you should consider before you sign up:

Capital One® Quicksilver® Card – 0% Intro APR for 15 Months

Highlights:

One-time $150 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day

No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn

0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; 14.74%-24.74% variable APR after that

0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months; 14.74%-24.74% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months

Pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees

What to Remember When Pursuing Signup Bonus Offers

Although these rewards offers are easy to earn, it doesn’t make them any less dangerous. In order to really benefit from a signup bonus, you have to make sure you’re using credit to your benefit – and not letting your spending get out of hand.

Remember, it never pays to pursue rewards if you end up carrying a balance on your credit card and paying interest — or worse, spiraling into a lifestyle of debt and worry. To avoid falling victim to this common credit card trap, only pursue rewards if you’re able to use your card for regular bills and expenses and pay it in full every month.

Once you know you have mastered that skill, however, you’ll be in a good position to earn all kinds of rewards for purchases you planned to make anyway.

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